Leica Q Typ 116 vs Panasonic GX8

The Leica Q (Typ 116) and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 are two enthusiast cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in June 2015 and July 2015. The Q Typ 116 is a fixed lens compact, while the GX8 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a full frame (Q Typ 116) and a Four Thirds (GX8) sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 20.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica Q (Typ 116) and the
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Leica Q Typ 116 and the Panasonic GX8. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Both cameras are available in two different colors (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Leica Q Typ 116 and the Panasonic GX8 are of equal size. It is noteworthy in this context that the GX8 is splash and dust-proof, while the Q Typ 116 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the Q Typ 116 has a lens built in,
whereas the GX8 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the GX8 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Leica Q Typ 116 features a full frame sensor and the Panasonic GX8
a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the GX8 is 74 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 2.0. The sensor in the Q Typ 116 has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the GX8 offers a 4:3 aspect.

In terms of underlying technology, both cameras are build around CMOS sensors.

With 24MP, the Q Typ 116 offers a higher
resolution than the GX8 (20.2MP), but the Q Typ 116 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of
6.00μm versus 3.34μm for the GX8) due to its larger sensor. It is noteworthy in this context that the two cameras were released in close succession, so that their sensors are
from the same technological generation.

The Leica Q (Typ 116) has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the Q Typ 116 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the GX8 (overall score 10 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.8 bits higher color depth, 0.1 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.5 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Leica Q Typ 116

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.3

12.7

2221

85

Leica Q Typ 116

Panasonic GX8

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

4K/30p

23.5

12.6

806

75

Panasonic GX8

Canon T6i

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.7

12.0

919

71

Canon T6i

Canon T6s

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.6

12.0

915

70

Canon T6s

Canon G7 X

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

23.0

12.7

556

71

Canon G7 X

Kodak AZ901

1/2.3

20.2

5184

3888

1080/30p

..

..

..

..

Kodak AZ901

Leica Q2

Full Frame

46.7

8368

5584

4K/30p

26.4

13.5

2491

96

Leica Q2

Leica M10

Full Frame

23.8

5952

3992

none

24.4

13.2

2133

86

Leica M10

Leica X Vario

APS-C

16.1

4928

3272

1080/30p

23.4

12.7

1320

78

Leica X Vario

Olympus E-M5 II

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60p

23.0

12.5

842

73

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-M1

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

23.0

12.7

757

73

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic G95

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

4K/30p

..

..

..

..

Panasonic G95

Panasonic GX9

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

4K/30p

..

..

..

..

Panasonic GX9

Panasonic GX7

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

1080/60p

22.6

12.2

718

70

Panasonic GX7

Sony RX100 V

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.4

586

70

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 IV

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.6

591

70

Sony RX100 IV

Sony HX400V

1/2.3

20.2

5184

3888

1080/60p

..

..

..

..

Sony HX400V

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the GX8 provides a better video resolution than the Q Typ 116. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Leica is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder.
However, the one in the Q Typ 116 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the GX8 (3680k vs 2360k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica Q Typ 116 and Panasonic GX8 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Leica Q Typ 116

3680

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

1/2000s

10.0

n

Y

Leica Q Typ 116

Panasonic GX8

2360

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Panasonic GX8

Canon T6i

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon T6i

Canon T6s

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon T6s

Canon G7 X

none

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/2000s

6.5

Y

Y

Canon G7 X

Kodak AZ901

202

n

3.0

920

swivel

n

1/2000s

5.0

Y

Y

Kodak AZ901

Leica Q2

3680

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

1/2000s

20.0

n

Y

Leica Q2

Leica M10

optical

n

3.0

1037

fixed

n

1/4000s

5.0

n

n

Leica M10

Leica X Vario

optional

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/2000s

5.0

Y

n

Leica X Vario

Olympus E-M5 II

2360

n

3.0

1037

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-M1

2360

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic G95

2360

n

3.0

1240

swivel

Y

1/4000s

9.0

Y

Y

Panasonic G95

Panasonic GX9

2760

n

3.0

1240

tilting

Y

1/4000s

9.0

Y

Y

Panasonic GX9

Panasonic GX7

2760

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Panasonic GX7

Sony RX100 V

2359

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

1/2000s

24.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 IV

2359

n

3.0

1228

tilting

n

1/2000s

16.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 IV

Sony HX400V

210

n

3.0

921

tilting

n

1/4000s

10.0

Y

Y

Sony HX400V

The GX8 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the Q Typ 116 does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while
others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature
an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Leica Q Typ 116 and the Panasonic GX8 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the Q Typ 116 and the GX8 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica Q (Typ 116) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Leica Q Typ 116

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Leica Q Typ 116

Panasonic GX8

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GX8

Canon T6i

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon T6i

Canon T6s

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon T6s

Canon G7 X

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon G7 X

Kodak AZ901

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Kodak AZ901

Leica Q2

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

none

none

Y

-

Y

Leica Q2

Leica M10

Y

none

none

-

-

none

none

Y

-

-

Leica M10

Leica X Vario

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Leica X Vario

Olympus E-M5 II

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-M1

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic G95

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

-

Y

Panasonic G95

Panasonic GX9

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

Y

Panasonic GX9

Panasonic GX7

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GX7

Sony RX100 V

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 IV

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 IV

Sony HX400V

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony HX400V

It is notable that the GX8 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings
by attaching an external microphone. The Q Typ 116 does not feature such a mic input.

Both the Q Typ 116 and the GX8 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The Q Typ 116 was replaced by the Leica Q2, while the GX8 was followed by the Panasonic GX9. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official
Leica and Panasonic websites.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Leica Q Typ 116 and the Panasonic GX8? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.

Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GX8 comes out slightly ahead of the Q Typ 116 (7 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the Q Typ 116 and the GX8 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.